John August

Transcribed

Rollo Tomasi

Episode - 597

Go to Archive

Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig dive into our overflowing mailbag to answer a wide range of listener questions. They discuss ageism in the industry, the realities of overall deals, clunky character backstories, and creating the relationship you want with your manager.

We also explore the history of a Disney Channel Original Movie, the realities of panning for gold, and who deals with your stuff after you die.

In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig reach through time to find their dream Scriptnotes guests.

Links:

* [The biggest new moneymaking scheme for Hollywood stars? Doing nothing](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/apr/14/phoebe-waller-bridge-amazon-deal-fleabag) by Arwa Mahdawi for The Guardian
* [Rollo Tomasi scene](https://youtu.be/ajgjhmh-_q4)
* [L.A. Confidential screenplay](https://assets.scriptslug.com/live/pdf/scripts/l-a-confidential-1997.pdf) by Brian Helgeland & Curtis Hanson
* [Not All Robots](https://awastudios.net/series/not-all-robots/) by Mark Russell and Mike Deodato Jr.
* [TSA Precheck](https://www.tsa.gov/precheck)
* NEXUS Program for [US Citizens](https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/nexus) and [Canadian Citizens](https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/services/travel-voyage/prog/nexus/menu-eng.html).
* [Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!](https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast)
* [Check out the Inneresting Newsletter](https://inneresting.substack.com/)
* [Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts) or [treat yourself to a premium subscription!](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/)
* [Craig Mazin](https://www.instagram.com/clmazin/) on Instagram
* [John August](https://twitter.com/johnaugust) on Twitter
* [John on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en)
* [John on Mastodon](https://mastodon.art/@johnaugust)
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Nora Beyer ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))
* Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by [Matthew Chilelli](https://twitter.com/machelli).

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode [here](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/597standard.mp3).

**UPDATE 5-30-23:** The transcript for this episode can be found [here](https://johnaugust.com/2023/scriptnotes-episode-597-rollo-tomasi-transcript).

McQuarrie on McQuarrie

Scriptnotes, Transcribed

In preparation for episode 600, John revisits our first two episodes with Christopher McQuarrie (Top Gun: Maverick, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, The Usual Suspects) to marvel at his wisdom and enjoy his ongoing feud with Craig.

We chart his course from writer to writer-director, his process of rescuing a movie in crisis, the storytelling opportunities on TV, and what the future holds for young filmmakers.

In our bonus segment for premium members, John, Craig and Chris conduct a post-mortem on what killed the Spoof Movie – surely there must be a reason? (Of course there’s a reason, and don’t call us Shirley.)

Links:

* Original Chris McQuarrie episodes [300](https://johnaugust.com/2017/from-writer-to-writer-director) and [400](https://johnaugust.com/2019/movies-they-dont-make-anymore)
* [Chris McQuarrie](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003160/) on IMDb
* [Chris McQuarrie]([https://twitter.com/chrismcquarrie](https://www.instagram.com/christophermcquarrie)) on Instagram
* [Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!](https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast)
* [Check out the Inneresting Newsletter](https://inneresting.substack.com/)
* [Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts) or [treat yourself to a premium subscription!](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/)
* [Craig Mazin](https://www.instagram.com/clmazin/) on Instagram
* [John August](https://twitter.com/johnaugust) on Twitter
* [John on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en)
* [John on Mastodon](https://mastodon.art/@johnaugust)
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Matthew Chilelli ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))
* Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt (from episodes originally produced by [Megana Rao](https://twitter.com/MeganaRao) and Godwin Jabangwe), and edited by [Matthew Chilelli](https://twitter.com/machelli).

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode [here](https://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/596standard.mp3).

**UPDATE 5-30-23:** The transcript for this episode can be found [here](https://johnaugust.com/2023/scriptnotes-episode-596-mcquarrie-on-mcquarrie-transcript).

Correctable Crises

Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John welcomes Danielle Sanchez-Witzel (Up Here, The Carmichael Show) to discuss the state of modern TV writing and answer crafty questions from our overflowing mailbag.

How do you structure a limited series? How do you take inspiration from an idea without ripping it off? And how do you know if your story really needs that sex scene?

In our bonus segment for premium members, we explore the tricky situation of having a co-worker who is nice but incompetent.

Links:

* [Danielle Sanchez-Witzel](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1294678/) on IMDb.
* [Up Here](https://www.hulu.com/series/up-here-3cf5b24c-f13d-4943-8c73-e0e27de4cff5) on Hulu.
* [Succession Podcast, S4E2 with Lucy Prebble and Laura Wasser](https://youtu.be/xvcVqDDceKU) from HBO.
* [Incompetent but Nice](https://jacobian.org/2023/mar/28/incompetent-but-nice/) by Jacob Kaplan-Moss.
* [Glucose Goddess](https://www.instagram.com/glucosegoddess/) on Instagram.
* [Non-Buttermilk Pancake Recipe](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/162760/fluffy-pancakes/)
* [Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!](https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast)
* [Check out the Inneresting Newsletter](https://inneresting.substack.com/)
* [Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts) or [treat yourself to a premium subscription!](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/)
* [Craig Mazin](https://www.instagram.com/clmazin/) on Instagram
* [John August](https://twitter.com/johnaugust) on Twitter
* [John on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en)
* [John on Mastodon](https://mastodon.art/@johnaugust)
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Alicia Jo Rabins ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))
* Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by [Matthew Chilelli](https://twitter.com/machelli).

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode [here](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/595standard.mp3).

**UPDATE 5-30-23:** The transcript for this episode can be found [here](https://johnaugust.com/2023/scriptnotes-episode-595-correctable-crises-transcript).

Bindles and Gold Pans

HWTBAM, Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig look at another set of incredible news stories and ask, How Would This Be a Movie? Stories include an AI love service, an inventor with good intentions who doomed our planet, a fake Aretha Franklin, and a multi-million dollar nut heist.

We also follow up on heroic names and answer listener questions about researching your story.

In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig lie awake and wonder — what happens to our work after we die?

Links:

* [The Man of Your Dreams](https://www.thecut.com/article/ai-artificial-intelligence-chatbot-replika-boyfriend.html) by Sangeeta Singh-Kurtz for The Cut
* [The Brilliant Inventor Who Made Two of History’s Biggest Mistakes](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/15/magazine/cfcs-inventor.html) by Steven Johnson for The New York Times Magazine
* [Pennsylvania Woman Who Disappeared in 1992 Is Found Alive in Puerto Rico](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/04/us/pennsylvania-woman-found-puerto-rico.html?smid=em-share) by Eduardo Medina for the New York Times
* [The Counterfeit Queen of Soul](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/counterfeit-queen-soul-180969340/) by Jeff Maysh for Smithsonian
* [The Curious Case of the Disappearing Nuts](https://www.outsideonline.com/food/nut-job/) by Peter Vigneron for Outside
* [A History Professor Takes On Hollywood](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/10/style/natalia-petrzela-fitness.html) by Katherine Rosman for the New York Times
* [This Isn’t Going to End Well: The True Story of a Man I Thought I Knew](https://www.workman.com/products/this-isnt-going-to-end-well/hardback) by Daniel Wallace
* [Posthumously](https://slate.com/culture/2023/04/posthumous-writing-randall-kenan-novel-survivors.html) by Daniel Wallace
* [The Last of Us: Soundtrack From the Series](https://milanrecords.com/release/the-last-of-us/) by David Fleming & Gustavo Santaolalla
* [Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!](https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast)
* [Check out the Inneresting Newsletter](https://inneresting.substack.com/)
* [Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts) or [treat yourself to a premium subscription!](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/)
* [Craig Mazin](https://www.instagram.com/clmazin/) on Instagram
* [John August](https://twitter.com/johnaugust) on Twitter
* [John on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en)
* [John on Mastodon](https://mastodon.art/@johnaugust)
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Orpheus ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))
* Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by [Matthew Chilelli](https://twitter.com/machelli).

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode [here](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/594standard.mp3).

**UPDATE 5-11-23:** The transcript for this episode can be found [here](https://johnaugust.com/2023/scriptnotes-episode-594-bindles-and-gold-pans-transcript).